Legal issue paper published: Overview of the impact of the proposed EU Digital Services Act Package on broadcasting in Europe

The horizontal approach concerning intermediaries as proposed by the European Commission in the Digital Services Act Package has a vertical impact on individual sectors. The proposed rules of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are of particular interest for broadcasting, which in the online environment relies in many respects on the services of intermediaries and competes in the dissemination of audiovisual content. The effects of DSA and DMA on media pluralism and media freedom should be carefully considered in the legislative process.

Supported by the Association for Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), Prof. Dr. Mark D. Cole, Director for Academic Affairs at the Institute of European Media Law (EMR), authored a legal issue paper highlighting from a media law perspective the main elements of DSA and DMA of concern to the broadcasting sector in Europe. The background to the paper and the main observations regarding the Digital Services Act Package are presented in a summary overview by Prof. Cole in the video above and are summarized in this separate document:

 

The findings of the legal issue paper were also presented during an online event on 21 June 2021 followed by interventions from the perspective of policy-makers and stakeholders as well as a Q&A with participants. The full conference video is now available too: